MLB Player News

Woodford is scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Mariners in Pittsburgh.

He'll be making his second turn through the rotation as a replacement for Marco Gonzales, who was placed on the injured list Monday with a season-ending forearm strain. The Pirates could get Jared Jones (lat) back from the IL later this month, but the team could still choose to keep Woodford part of a six-man rotation in an effort to keep the workloads of Jones and fellow rookie Paul Skenes under control down the stretch. Woodford's performance in future outings could factor into the Pirates' plans for him moving forward, and he made a strong first impression in his start this past Monday in San Diego, when he limited the Padres to one run on three hits and no walks over six innings.

Cease (12-9) picked up the win over the Rockies on Saturday, allowing three runs on three hits and five walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.

Cease started off strong, striking out five of the first nine batters he faced while keeping the Rockies off the scoreboard through the first five innings. The right-hander then began to stumble in the sixth, allowing three consecutive batters to reach before eventually surrendering three runs in the frame. He was relieved by Adrian Morejon with two outs, marking the third consecutive start in which Cease has been unable to get through six innings (excluding his rain-delayed start Aug. 6). The five walks on the night also matched his season high, and he's now issued multiple free passes in four consecutive outings in which he's pitched outside of the first inning. Despite that, Cease has won five of his last six decisions (spanning seven starts).

Miller (1-3) took the loss against the Cardinals on Saturday, allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk over 4.2 innings while striking out one.

Miller struggled with his command from the jump, allowing singles to two of the first three batters he faced in the contest before throwing two wild pitches in the opening frame. The right-hander would then fail to retire the leadoff man in three of his next four innings of work while also coughing up two homers on the night. Miller has been unable to make it through five innings in both of his last two starts (with the previous one coming back on July 9) while giving up multiple homers on each occasion. On a positive note, Saturday marked the first time in his last eight outings that Miller didn't walk multiple batters, though he did throw four wild pitches.

Greene (elbow) underwent an MRI on Saturday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Greene, who was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday, declined to comment on the injury until the results of the MRI are known. Cincinnati manager David Bell expressed optimism that Greene avoided a major injury, though the skipper suggested that the right-hander could miss more than the minimum amount of time. Bell has not yet determined who will take Greene's spot in the rotation Monday in Toronto, and the team's starting depth is thin due to injuries to Graham Ashcraft (elbow) and Brandon Williamson (shoulder). Sheldon speculates that Triple-A Louisville right-hander Julian Aguiar could be a leading candidate to replace Greene in the rotation.

Pallante (5-6) picked up the win over the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over seven innings while striking out five.

Pallante held his own against a talented Dodgers lineup despite allowing the leadoff man to reach in four of his seven innings of work. The right-hander surrendered one run in the first and another in the fifth on a solo shot from Shohei Ohtani, but he was able to hang on for his fifth win of the season and his first since June 28 against the Reds. Pallante has now allowed three or fewer runs in four of his last five starts, though he's also walked multiple batters in five straight. In the month of August he holds a 4.15 ERA to go along with an 11:8 K:BB.

Sanchez (9-8) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on two hits over nine innings in a 5-1 victory over the Nationals. He struck out four without walking a batter.

The southpaw was incredibly efficient in his second complete game of the season, firing 71 of 99 pitches for strikes, and an Alex Call solo shot in the fourth inning was the only blemish on his performance. Sanchez followed up his other nine-inning gem, a shutout of the Marlins on June 28, with a seven-run stinker against the Cubs -- an outing that began a tough stretch in which the 27-year-old posted a 6.63 ERA over the seven starts prior to Saturday. Sanchez will look to avoid a similar swoon in his next start, which lines up to come on the road next week in Atlanta.

Gore (7-11) took the loss Saturday, coughing up five runs on nine hits and two walks over 5.2 innings as the Nationals were downed 5-1 by the Phillies. He struck out six.

The southpaw held a 3.24 ERA after a June 14 win over the Marlins, but since then Gore's campaign has gone completely off the rails. He's been tagged for at least five runs in three straight starts and six of his last 11, going 1-6 over that stretch with a 6.75 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 45:31 K:BB in 50.2 innings. While his control hasn't been sharp, he's also been somewhat unlucky given his .370 BABIP on the year, and his 4.66 ERA is outpacing his 3.62 FIP by a wide margin. Gore will try to find a way to stop the bleeding in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Atlanta.

Gallen (9-6) took the loss Saturday, giving up four runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out three as the Diamondbacks were downed 6-1 by the Rays.

Despite getting extra rest after his last outing Aug. 10 due to cramping and general body soreness, Gallen didn't look to be at his best Saturday as he generated only seven swinging strikes among his 98 pitches. The 29-year-old right-hander has yet to allow a home run in six starts since the All-Star break, but the rest of his numbers during that stretch (3.78 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 26:16 K:BB in 33.1 innings) aren't up to his usual standards. Gallen will look to regain his form in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Boston.

Severino (8-6) picked up the win Saturday, scattering four hits and a walk over nine scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the Marlins. He struck out eight.

Three of the four hits off Severino were doubles, but he bore down and stranded the runner each time. The right-hander needed a season-high 113 pitches (78 strikes) to record his second career shutout, with the other coming back in 2018. It was an impressive turnaround for Severino, who had gone 0-3 with an 8.00 ERA and 1.83 WHIP over his prior four starts. The 30-year-old is scheduled to make his next trip to the mound on the road next week in San Diego.

Meyer (3-3) took the loss Saturday, giving up four runs on six hits and three walks over four innings as the Marlins fell 4-0 to the Mets. He struck out three.

While the Miami offense gave the rookie right-hander no support, Meyer created his own problems by throwing only 49 of 90 pitches for strikes and having poor command within the strike zone -- four of the six hits he served up went for extra bases, including solo shots by Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. In five outings since returning to the big-league rotation in late July, Meyer has stumbled to an 8.10 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and 19:9 K:BB through 23.1 innings, but the Marlins will let him work through his growing pains. The 25-year-old lines up to make his next start at home next weekend against the Cubs.